Downtown Fort Myers makes a splash with the 46th anniversary of the Ft. Myers Boat Show on the Caloosahatchee, in the heart of the “River District.” Southwest Florida’s Premier Boating Showcase, is set for Nov. 15th-18th, 2018 running Thursday through Sunday. With a booming marine industry along with development of the beautiful new Luminary Hotel and refurbishment of the Harborside Event Center, the show’s redesigned and expanded layout features more boats, products, and services than ever. “The city of Ft. Myers and Mainsail Development have worked with us to minimize the impact of construction, and I am really pleased with the result,” says show manager John Good. The show’s entrance has shifted to the west end of Centennial Park as show goers enter at First St. & Carson St. (next to Joe’s Crab Shack). Displays stretch along the river from Centennial Park through Downtown to the City Yacht Basin. The boat show is very consumer and family friendly with plenty of parking in the large grass lot at First St. & Altamont Ave. (next to Publix.), with a free shuttle directly to the show entrance.
With such a diverse boating market in Southwest Florida, you will find a variety of boat types on display including jet skis, skiffs, bay boats, flats boats, center consoles, pontoon boats, deck boats, cruising boats, sport fishers, and more. “With additional displays on the west side of Centennial Park, there is space to accommodate even more exhibits on land and we are adding floating docks for additional boats in-water,” says show manager John Good. The City Yacht Basin, filled with impressive floating dock displays, creates the perfect environment for boaters to board a wide array of boats and get a feel for the boat on the water. In today’s world, many items are purchased on the internet, but boats remain a “Feel & Touch” type of product. With all the major dealers in Southwest Florida on hand, the show provides a prime opportunity to compare many models and boats in one area. Local dealers invest a great amount of money and effort in their show displays and are looking to make competitive deals on site at the Ft. Myers Boat Show.
In addition to boats, you will find the largest display of accessory items and marine services of any Boat Show on Florida’s west coast including electronic equipment, motors, boat lifts, docks, clothing, marine art, and a large assortments of fishing products. Fishin’ Frank and his crew return to this year’s show with an expanded “Fishin’ Frank’s Fishin Village” under the Heitman Bridge. Highlights include tackle displays with factory representatives on hand, a seminar area with local charter captains, show specials with factory pricing, and Frank’s popular fishing simulator giving guests a chance to catch anything from a Largemouth Bass to a Marlin.
The Fort Myers Boat Show runs Thursday, Nov. 15th through Sunday, Nov. 18th. Hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 per person, and children younger than 16 are free with a paid adult admission. Parking is just $5 in the grass lot at First St. & Altamont Ave. (next to Publix) and includes a short trolley ride to the entrance. Pets are not allowed at the show, the only pets we can allow are guide dogs or other licensed working dogs.
Why wait in line- save time and money, buy online? Visit www.goboatingflorida.com to purchase your tickets today. Online tickets will be available at a reduced price of $10/ticket up through Saturday, Nov. 10th.
For more information about the Fort Myers Boat Show, visit www.goboatingflorida.com